The new 8-speed transmission with fuel saving technology is... awful, just awful. By far the worst transmission I've ever had the displeasure of driving- let alone owning. The transmission is very slow to respond to any accelerator input from the driver. The problem is especially noticeable in stop-and-go traffic. When the driver depresses the accelerator to gain speed quickly, the transmission takes several seconds to respond before it slips to a lower gear in order to accelerate. This lag causes the vehicle, when it finally does downshift, to shift very hard and shudders the entire vehicle.

After discussions with my dealer service center, the mechanic told me this was normal due to the technology attempting to calculate what gear it needs to shift to... which takes "time". This explanation was unacceptable as this is what all transmissions are designed to do... the slow reaction times in the transmission is enough for me to reconsider ever purchasing another Dodge with the 8-speed transmission.